MIC crisis: Fresh elections beginning this April - Palanivel

After months of fierce tussle and drama, the MIC which is embroiled in a leadership crisis, has agreed to hold a fresh party election beginning this April to elect new office bearers.

President Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said the election would begin with the branch level which would be followed by the presidential election in May.

"The election at the division level will be in June while the annual general meeting is set for July," he told reporters after attending his 66th birthday celebration at the MIC headquarters here, Sunday.

Earlier in February, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the MIC would have to follow the Registrar of Societies' (RoS) directive to hold the elections by July.

Ahmad Zahid had said the 2009 central working committee (CWC) would take over as interim until the re-election was completed while they only had to use the list of voters and branches established in 2012 for this upcoming election.

The MIC was also required to set up an election committee.

When asked by reporters when he would call for a CWC meeting to set up the election committee, Palanivel said it will be done after he had met with an undisclosed individual and resolve a few issues.

He also refused to answer a question on the party’s strategic director A.K. Ramalingam's action to challenge the RoS' directive in court.

Palanivel, who is the Environment and Natural Resources Minister, said he had a strong support for his leadership, adding that over 800,000 individuals from various segments of the Indian community had thrown their support behind him to continue to lead the party.